The Joy of Music….Not What You Think
School of Rock Music Performs Hair Metal
This past weekend was one of my favorite weekends of the year. It’s one of the six weekends I look forward to all year long. It was a School of Rock Music concert weekend! My work schedule doesn’t allow me to get to all the concerts right now but I really look forward to the day when I can.
The music is FANTASTIC! But that’s not the reason I love the concerts. I love the concerts because of the joy that is felt in the club.
The only other time I see kids’ faces light up like the faces of our rockers on concert day is that one Christmas morning or one specific birthday when you get the present you had no idea you were getting and really, really want. Other than on concert days, I saw it twice on my son’s face. The first time he was 10 years old and I got him a (used) snowmobile for Christmas. It was an Arctic Cat Puma (330). I hid it in a neighbor’s garage and after my son went to bed on Christmas Eve I towed it from the neighbor’s garage to our driveway. When he opened his Christmas present the next morning it was a model snowmobile. He didn’t want to express dissatisfaction but I could tell he didn’t think it was a very cool gift. I told him to put on some shoes (we do live in Minnesota!) and go out to the driveway. It took him a minute but then he got it. He went running outside and stopped dead in his tracks when he saw the green “ditch pickle” (as they’re called by rival Polaris fans) on the trailer with a red bow on the handlebars. He climbed on top of it, settled in and asked if we could go riding – RIGHT THEN!
The second time I saw this joy on my son’s face was on his 16th birthday. You know what he got…. A car. But it was how he got the car that created the magic. I went to the dealership the morning of his birthday and parked my car in their lot and took his birthday present car to work. I drove his car to the restaurant where we were meeting to celebrate his birthday (specifically selected because they had valet service). I told the valet that it was my son’s birthday present so when we called for the car after dinner I asked that he give the keys to my son.
My parents drove my son to the restaurant and met me there. I was so excited I couldn’t wait for dinner to be over. The valet played it perfectly. We went out and I handed him my ticket. A few minutes later a cherry red Toyota Celica pulled up in front of us. My son pointed to the car and said to my mother, “That’s the kind of car I want Grandma,” not knowing it was his birthday present. The valet stepped out of the car, walked to my son and handed him the keys. Just like with the snowmobile, it took a couple minutes to register with him. He took the keys and literally walked on air around the car. I’ve never seen anyone walk on air before and I’ve never seen anyone walk on air since, but I saw my son walk on air that night. It was quite magical.
Then there are concert nights. When my son plays a rock concert he exudes joy. I see that same joy on the faces of many of the School of Rock students during the concerts. The happiness I feel for my son when he is so joyful is the same happiness I see on the faces of the parents at the concerts. The teachers express their pride for their students. Even the employees at the clubs are blown away by how great these kids are.
For two hours nothing else exists. For two hours the world is perfect. For two hours all concerns are forgotten. That’s the magic for me of a School of Rock concert.